Various types of mats are well known. Mats are used indoors and outdoors to collect dirt and liquids and, therefore, to protect the flooring of the building. "Welcome" mats are commonly used in houses and businesses to collect dirt from visitor's shoes. Such mats usually have a number of bristles depending upwardly from a base to remove dirt from the bottom of the visitor's footwear. The denseness of the bristles in combination with the base of the mat allows the mat to retain dirt and liquids.
Mats are also commonly used in cars. Car mats have become very sophisticated in collecting fluid. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,670 which issued Aug. 23, 1988 to Jackson, discloses a floor mat which has sloping grooves or troughs. Liquid flows through the grooves and is collected in a trough at one end of the mat and then deposited into a storage tank. The storage tank may then be removed from the mat, emptied and then replaced for re-use.
Mats are often used for special purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,539 which issued Mar. 13, 1990 to Abulhasan, discloses a pet food bowl and mat. A bowl is positioned in the centre of the mat for holding food for the pet. The mat catches spillage and overflow from the bowl. This mat, however, does not allow for easy disposal of the spillage on the mat. The spillage must be wiped to clean the mat or the entire mat must be carried to a garbage or sink for disposal of the spillage. The bowl itself serves only to dispense food or water.
The mats of the prior art do not allow for simple collection and disposal of solid matter in addition to liquids and for convenient storage of the mat.